Adjustable ball cock



Feb. 11, 1964 E. FISCHER ETAL 3,120,857

ADJUSTABLE BALL cocx Filed March 8, 1961 INVENTORS. EDWARD FISCHER BYROBERT R. ROSENE OLSEN AND STEPHENSON ATTORNEYS United States PatentOfilice 3,129,857 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 3,12%),857 ADHETAELE BALL 096KEdward Fischer, Saline, Mich, and Robert R. Rescue, Malvem, Aria,assignors to Hoover Ball and Bearing Company, Ann Arbor, Mich acorporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 94,276 4 Claims.(Cl. 131-592) The present invention relates to ball cocks andparticularly to adjustable apparatus for connecting the standpipe of aball cock to a water supply pipe and for supporting the standpipe in awater tank with the upper end of the standpipe a desired elevation abovethe bottom of the tank. The present invention is particularly adaptedfor use as a replacement ball cock, although it may be used equally wellas an original installation.

When replacing a worn or defective ball cock with a new one, a problemfrequently arises when attempting to connect the lower end of thereplacement standpipe to the originally installed water supply pipe.This problem occurs when installing a ball cock having a conventionalmounting structure such as is shown, for example, in the United StatesLetters Patent to Price et 21.1., Number 2,869,571, which mountingstructure requires the standpipe initially to be secured in sealedrelation to the bottom wall of a water tank and with the float armextending in the proper direction. The location of the lower coupling,which is adapted to be connected to the upper end of the water supplypipe, is then fixed, and if this location is not suitable for maldng theproper connection with the end of the water supply pipe, modification oran addition to the latter is required. It can be appreciated that makingsuch modification or addition can be troublesome and costly,particularly when the supply pipe is old or in a relatively inacessiblelocation. Furthermore, this problem most frequently arises with oldinstallations where the originfl ball cock structures have differentdimensions from new ball cocks that may now be used by plumbers.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention toprovide a ball cock structure having improved mounting means so that thestandpipe can be connected to the bottom wall of the water tank and tothe end of the water supply pipe, and such connections can be madeeasily, irrespective of rather large variations that may exist in thespacing between the end of the water supply pipe and the bottom wall ofthe water tank.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ballcock structure of the foregoing character which is constructed andarranged so that the mounting means thereof can initially be secured tothe end of the water inlet pipe, and thereafter, this means can beadjusted as required to permit a proper connection to be made with thebottom wall of the water tank.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ballcock structure of the foregoing character which is constructed andarranged so that the standpipe may be turned on its longitudinal axisafter the connection to the bottom wall of the water tank has been made,thereby facilitating aligning of the float arm in the proper direction.

Another problem that sometimes arises in connection with either originalor replacement ball cock installations occurs when it is desired tochange the normal elevation of water in the water tank or the efiectiveelevation of the ball float. With respect to this problem, a practicesometimes followed to obtain the desired results is to bend the floatarm, which practice is undesirable for obvious reasons.

Accordingly, it is still another object of the present invention toprovide a ball cock structure which is constructed and arranged so thatthe standpipe is vertically adjustable relative to the mounting meanstherefor so that the level of water normally maintained in the watertank can be established between relatively wide limits, thereby assumingmaximum economy in the use of the water.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ballcock structure adapted for use either in new water tank installations oras a replacement part and which is characterized by the adjustments thatcan be made in its mounting means thereby providing maximiunapplicability while realizing the most effective results of operation.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FEGURE l is a fragmentary side elevation of a ball cock mounted on thebottom wall of a water tank and connected to a water supply pipe andillustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken substantially onthe line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3;3 of FEGURE 2.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrange ment of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,it is to be understood that the phrascology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawing, a more detailed description will be madeof the present invention. The ball cock it) includes a standpipe l2 anda fill pipe 14, on the upper ends of which is secured a valve casing 16.A float arm 18 is operatively mounted for actuating the valve mechanism(not shown) within valve casing 16. Any suitable valve mechanism may beused, and one such mechanism is shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent,Number 2,869,571.

In its normal operating position, the standpipe 12 is mounted on thebottom wall 2%) of a water tank 22 (fragcntarily shown) with the lowerend of standpipe 12 extending through the opening 24 in bottom wall 2%).Adjacent the opening 2d and on the external side of the water tank 22 isa water supply pipe 26 through which Water can be supplied to standpipel2 and from there to the water tank 22 via the valve casing 16 and fillpipe 14. In mounting the ball cock ill in its operating position it isnecessary to provide communication between the upper end of water supplypipe 26 and the lower end of standpipe l2, and it is also necessary toseal the opening remaining in bottom wall Zil after standpipe 12 hasbeen inserted therethrough.

For these purposes, there is provided the externally threaded sleevemember or sleeve 25% into which the standpipe 12 extends. On the upperend of the sleeve 28 is a nut 3d, and operatively positioned around thestandpipe 12 and between sleeve 28 and nut 30 is a rubberlike gasketring 32. A liquid tight joint is provided by screwing nut 3d onto sleeve28 until the gasket ring 32 is squeezed tightly between these parts andthe standpipe 12.

The space between sleeve 28 and the edges of opening 24 are effectivelysealed by the nut 34 which has a conical shaped annular gasket 36 on itslower face, and the nut 38, both threadedly connected to the sleeve 28and 3 adapted to clamp the bottom wall 20 and gasket 35 therebetween soas to provide the desired liquid seal.

The sleeve 23 also has a nut 49 threadedly connected to its lower end,and operatively positioned around the water supply pipe 26 and betweenthe sleeve 28 and nut iii is a rubber-like gasket ring 42, which whenthe nut 49 is screwed onto sleeve 28 will squeeze the gasket ring 42 soas to provide a liquid tight joint between sleeve 23 and water supplypipe 26.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the extent ofspacing of the upper end of Water inlet pipe 26 relative to the bottomwall 20 can vary an amount equal nearly to the length of sleeve 28, anda proper connection can still be made between water supply pipe 26 andstandpipe 12. Thus, when making this connection, the connection betweenwater supply pipe 26 and sleeve 28 can first be made. The nuts 34 and 36can then be turned to efiect axial movements of the same until they arein position to effect a sealed engagement with the bottom wall 20, aspreviously described.

Thereafter, the standpipe 12 can be turned on its axis until the floatarm 18 extends in the proper direction in the water tank 22 and theconnection between standpipe 12 and the sleeve 28 can then be tightenedto eilect a water tight joint between these parts. Thus, it can beunderstood that a means has been provided for elfecting a water tightconnection between the ball cock and the water supply pipe 26, whichmeans is adjustable so as to accommodate variations in spacing that mayexist between the bottom wall of a water tank and its water supply pipe.

The ball cock 10 is also constructed and arranged so that its upper endcan be positioned a desired elevation above the bottom wall 20.Referring to FIGURE 2, it can be seen that the standpipe 12 extendssubstantially to the bottom of sleeve 28 so that when the upperconnection, formed by nut 30 and gasket ring 32, is loose, the standpipe12 can be moved axially within sleeve 28 to any position wherein thelower end of standpipe remains between the gasket rings 32 and 42.Thereafter, the upper connection is tightened, the ball cock 10 will beretained in this position with the float control mechanism retained at adesired elevation. Thus, within limits, the normal elevation of thewater in the water tank 22 can be determined so as to provide the moseffective flushing action and to provide the most economical usage ofthe Water.

In order to maintain the standpipe 12 in its proper coaxial alignmentwith the sleeve 28, the lower end of standpipe 12 is provided with aspider 44 which is slidable on the inner wall of the sleeve 28. Thespider 44 can be retained on the lower end of standpipe 12 in anysuitable manner, and in the present embodiment, this is accomplished bythe lower end of standpipe 12 being outwardly flared as at 46, torestrict the spider 44 to movement on the standpipe 12. Also, in thepresent embodiment the spider 44 is made of a suitable material, such asnylon, to permit easy axial adjustment of the elevation of the ball cock10.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A ball cock assembly adapted to be mounted in an opening in thebottom wall of a water tank and adapted to be connected to a watersupply pipe positioned below the opening in said bottom wall, said ballcock assembly comprising a sleeve adapted to extend through saidopening, a first coupling on the lower end of said sleeve adapted toconnect said sleeve to said water supply pipe, said first coupling meansincluding a first packing nut threadedly connected to said sleeve and aresilient annulus adapted to be positioned between said sleeve and saidliquid supply pipe and to be urged into sealing relation therebetween bysaid first packing nut, sealing means axially adjustable to selectedpositions on said sleeve and adapted to engage said bottom wall in anyof said selected positions so as to provide a liquid seal between saidbottom wall and said sleeve, a standpipe with valve means on its upperend for controlling flow of water therethrough, the lower end of saidstandpipe extending into said sleeve and axially movable relativethereto, and a sec ond coupling on the upper end of said sleeveoperatively connected to said standpipe to secured said standpipe at adesired height relative to said bottom wall and to provide a liquid sealbetween said standpipe and said sleeve, said second coupling meansincluding a second packing nut threadedly connected to said sleeve and asecond resilient annulus positioned between said sleeve and saidstandpipe and urged into sealing relation therewith by said secondpacking nut.

2. In combination: a tank having an opening in its bottom wall; a liquidsupply pipe terminating below said tank generally in alignment with saidopening; and a ball cock assembly mounted in said opening and connectedto said liquid supply pipe, said ball cock assembly comprising a sleeveextending through said opening and receiving in its lower end the upperend of said supply pipe, first coupling means connecting said sleeve andsaid liquid supply pipe to provide a liquid tight joint, said firstcoupling means including a first packing nut threadedly connected tosaid sleeve and a resilient annulus adapted to be positioned betweensaid sleeve and said liquid supply pipe and to be urged into sealingrelation therebetween by said first packing nut, means on the externalside of said sleeve secured to the upper and lower edges of said openingfor effecting a liquid tight joint between the sleeve and the edges ofsaid opening, said means being axially movable on said sleeve toselected positions to enable the sleeve to be connected to said liquidsupply pipe and to said bottom wall irrespective of variations inspacing between these parts, a standpipe with valve means forcontrolling ilow of liquid from said liquid supply pipe into said tank,the lower end of said standpipe extending into said sleeve and beingaxially movable relative thereto so as to enable the elevation of theupper end of the standpipe to be varied relative to said tank, andsecond coupling means connecting said sleeve and said liquid supply pipeto provide a liquid tight joint, said second coupling means including asecond packing nut threadedly connected to said sleeve and a secondresilient annulus positioned between said sleeve and said standpipe andurged into sealing relation therewith by said second packing nut.

3. A ball cock assembly comprising a sleeve adapted to be verticallydisposed, first coupling means connected to the lower end of said sleeveand adapted to retain with said lower end the end of a liquid supplypipe, said first coupling means including a first packing nut threadedlyconnected to said sleeve and a resilient annulus adapted to bepositioned between said sleeve and said liquid supply pipe and to beurged into sealing relation therebetween by said first packing nut,sealing means axially adjustable to selected positions on the externalside of said sleeve adapted to engage retainingly and in sealingrelationship the upper and lower edges of an opening in the bottom wallof a tank, a standpipe with valve means at its upper end for controllingflow of liquid therethrough, the lower end of said standpipe extendinginto said sleeve and being axially movable relative thereto, saidstandpipe having a smaller external dimension than the internaldimension of said sleeve so as to be spaced therefrom, spider meanscarried on the lower end of said standpipe and operably positioned tomaintain the lower end of said pipe concentrically of said sleeve, andsecond coupling means connected to the upper end of said sleeve forsecuring the standpipe concentrically at a desired elevation in saidsleeve and for effecting a liquid tight joint between said sleeve andsaid standpipe, said second coupling means including a second packingnut threadedly connected to said sleeve and a second resilient annuluspositioned between said sleeve and said standpipe and urged into sealingrelation therewith by said second packing not.

4. In a ball cock assembly, a sleeve member adapted to be disposed in agenerally vertical position, a first coupling means on the lower end ofsaid sleeve member for connection with a Water supply pipe, said firstcoupling means including a first packing nut threadedly connected tosaid sleeve and a resilient annulus adapted to be positioned betweensaid sleeve and said liquid supply pipe and to be urged into sealingrelation therebetween by said first packing nut, axially adjustablemounting means on the external side of said sleeve member, a standpipewith its lower end telescoped into said sleeve member, and secondcoupling means on the upper end of said sleeve member securing thestandpipe in a selected axial position in said sleeve member, saidsecond coupling means including a second packing nut threadedlyconnected to said sleeve and a second resilient annulus 5 positionedbetween said sleeve and said standpipe and urged into sealing relationtherewith by said second packing nut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,058,033 Case Apr. 8, 1913 1,299,441 Ennis Apr. 8, 1919 1,568,772 Rubinllan. 5, 1926 1,714,803 Mueller May 28, 1929 2,495,532 Leonard Jan. 24,1950 2,752,936 Cantalupo July 3, 195 2,776,168 Schweda Ian. 1, 19572,779,610 Risley Jan. 29, 1957 2,827,073 Owens Mar. 18, 1 58 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3, 120,857February 11, 1964 Edward Fischer et alh It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 5 for "assuming" read assuring column 4, line 6, for"secured" read W secure line 75;

for "not" read nut Signed and sealed this 14th day of July 1964* (SEAL)Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents ESTON G. JOHNSON AttestingOfficer

4. IN A BALL COCK ASSEMBLY, A SLEEVE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN AGENERALLY VERTICAL POSITION, A FIRST COUPLING MEANS ON THE LOWER END OFSAID SLEEVE MEMBER FOR MAKING CONNECTION WITH A WATER SUPPLY PIPE, SAIDFIRST COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST PACKING NUT THREADEDLY CONNECTEDTO SAID SLEEVE AND A RESILIENT ANNULUS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEENSAID SLEEVE AND SAID LIQUID SUPPLY PIPE AND TO BE URGED INTO SEALINGRELATION THEREBETWEEN BY SAID FIRST PACKING NUT, AXIALLY ADJUSTABLEMOUNTING MEANS ON THE EXTERNAL SIDE OF SLEEVE MEMBER, A STANDPIPE WITHITS LOWER END TELESCOPED INTO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, AND SECOND COUPLINGMEANS ON THE UPPER END OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER SECURING THE STANDPIPE IN ASELECTED AXIAL POSITION IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, SAID SECOND COUPLINGMEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PACKING NUT THREADEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVEAND A SECOND RESILIENT ANNULUS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SLEEVE AND SAIDSTANDPIPE AND URGED INTO SEALING RELATION THEREWITH BY SAID SECONDPACKING NUT.